45 Queen Caroline Street · Hammersmith · London W6 9QH
Eventim Apollo transfers, and the gyratory that surrounds it
The Apollo sits inside one of London's least forgiving one-way systems, wedged between a flyover, a bus station and the A4. Getting a car to the door is entirely possible. Doing it without three laps of Hammersmith requires knowing the approach.
Almost every road around the venue is. Miss the turn onto Queen Caroline Street and the system takes you a considerable distance before it lets you try again, which is why the approach is planned rather than improvised.
Four things about Hammersmith that decide where you get out
This is a compact venue with an awkward setting. The building is easy; the road layout around it is the job.
The set-down
The street the venue fronts onto, and where cars stop. Approached from the correct direction it is straightforward, and from the wrong one it is a lap of the gyratory.
A4 above your head
The Hammersmith flyover carries the A4 straight over the area, which is excellent for reaching the venue from the west and irrelevant if you are coming from Kent.
Do not aim for it
Satnavs frequently route towards the interchange, which is closed to private vehicles in places and surrounded by bus lanes. It is the most common way to end up in the wrong place here.
Where we wait
Collection sits on the quieter riverside streets rather than the frontage. Two minutes' walk, and it avoids five thousand people and a bus lane at the same time.
What the Apollo does, and how long it runs
This venue leans more heavily on comedy and seated shows than any other room of its size in London, and that changes the timings considerably. Comedy recordings in particular run longer than the advertised finish.
| Show type | Typical finish | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Stand-up comedy tours | 22:15–22:45 | Two halves and an interval. Reliable timings and a quick, orderly exit. |
| Filmed comedy specials | 23:00 or later | Retakes, pick-ups and a request to stay seated. Allow an extra half hour over the printed time. |
| Seated concerts and live music | 22:30–23:00 | Encores push this later. The most variable finish in the building. |
| Standing gigs | 23:00 | Floor cleared, faster exit, and everyone heading for the tube at once. |
| Theatre, dance and family shows | Varies | Matinees as well as evenings, so some jobs are daytime traffic rather than evening. |
| Awards and industry events | Late | Often black tie with specific arrival arrangements we confirm per event. |
West London from Kent: the honest numbers
Hammersmith is the furthest west we regularly run for a mid-sized venue, and there is no disguising that it is a long way from our patch. The compensation is that the A4 and the M4 make the last stretch quick once you are past central London.
| Pick-up area | Distance | Evening journey | Leave by for 7:30pm doors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gravesend & Northfleet | 36 miles | 80–115 min | 4:45pm |
| Dartford & Bluewater | 32 miles | 75–105 min | 5:00pm |
| Bexleyheath & Welling | 23 miles | 65–95 min | 5:15pm |
| Sidcup & Bexley | 23 miles | 65–95 min | 5:15pm |
| Bromley & Orpington | 21 miles | 60–90 min | 5:20pm |
| Sevenoaks & Tonbridge | 33 miles | 70–100 min | 5:00pm |
| Rochester, Chatham & Gillingham | 45 miles | 90–120 min | 4:30pm |
| Maidstone & Aylesford | 46 miles | 90–120 min | 4:30pm |
| Sittingbourne & Faversham | 56 miles | 100–135 min | 4:10pm |
| Canterbury & Ashford | 70 miles | 115–150 min | 3:45pm |
| Central London hotels | 6 miles | 25–50 min | 6:30pm |
| Heathrow Airport | 10 miles | 25–45 min | 6:30pm |
Why people book a car for W6
It is a long way back on public transport
Hammersmith is well served by four tube lines, and if you live in west London that is the end of the discussion. From Kent it is a different picture entirely: a District or Piccadilly line journey into the centre, a change, then a train out, arriving somewhere that still needs a taxi. That is comfortably ninety minutes to two hours on a good night, and it depends on connections that get thin after eleven. A single vehicle door to door removes three changes and an hour.
The Heathrow connection
Hammersmith sits directly on the corridor between central London and Heathrow, which makes an unusual combination genuinely practical: a show in the evening and a flight the next morning, or an arrival at Heathrow and a gig the same night. We run this pairing more often at the Apollo than anywhere else, and the timings work far better than they look on paper because the M4 is quick outside peak hours.
Comedy recordings run late
If your ticket is for a filmed special, the printed finish time is optimistic. Retakes, additional material and a request for the audience to stay put are all standard, and thirty minutes over is normal rather than exceptional. We build that into the return window as a matter of course for these shows, and the driver waits regardless. It is the single most common reason people at this venue come out later than they expected.
Seated shows change the crowd
Because much of the programme is seated comedy and theatre rather than standing gigs, the Apollo audience skews slightly older, more likely to be travelling as couples or in small groups, and much less inclined to walk twenty minutes to a station in the rain. A car at the door suits that crowd, and the venue's layout makes it achievable in a way it is not at bigger rooms.
Eventim Apollo travel questions
Hammersmith-specific, including the one-way system.
Can you drop us outside the Apollo?
Yes. Set-down is on Queen Caroline Street, which the venue fronts onto, so the walk is a matter of steps. The trick is the approach, because the one-way system around Hammersmith punishes a wrong turn heavily. Our drivers take the route that works rather than whatever the satnav suggests first.
Where do you collect after the show?
From the quieter riverside streets a couple of minutes' walk from the frontage. Queen Caroline Street and the roads immediately around the venue fill with people and buses the moment a show ends, so waiting slightly off it gets you moving considerably faster.
How long does it take from Kent to Hammersmith?
It is the longest regular run on our London list. From Gravesend allow an hour and a half to nearly two hours in the evening peak, from Medway closer to two. The table above gives leave-by times by area for a half seven doors.
Is it quicker to go by train?
Not usually, and not comfortably. From Kent it means a train in, at least one change onto the District or Piccadilly line, and the same again in reverse afterwards with thinning late services. A single vehicle removes the changes and the wait, which is most of the appeal here.
What if our show is a filmed comedy special?
Expect it to overrun, often by half an hour. Retakes and extra material are normal, and the audience is usually asked to stay seated. We plan a wider return window for recordings, and the driver waits without the fare changing.
Can you combine this with a Heathrow flight?
Yes, and it works well because Hammersmith sits on the Heathrow corridor. A show in the evening and an early flight, or a landing followed by a gig the same night, are both straightforward. Tell us both legs when you book so we can price it as one job.
Do you cover matinees and family shows?
Yes. Daytime performances mean daytime traffic, which is a different planning exercise to an evening show. Journey times are often better and we adjust the departure accordingly.
Is the fare fixed?
Yes, agreed before you travel. A long run on the A4, an overrunning recording or a slow exit from the gyratory do not change what you pay. No meter and no evening surcharge.
Can we get dropped somewhere for dinner first?
Certainly. Hammersmith and the riverside have plenty of options and an earlier drop costs nothing extra as long as it is built in when the job is priced. Given the journey length from Kent, eating before the show is often the sensible plan anyway.
Can you take a group?
Yes, from a saloon for two up to a forty-nine-seat coach. Larger vehicles need a slightly different set-down arrangement because of the one-way system and the bus lanes, which we confirm before the date.
West London and beyond
Other rooms of a similar size, and the guides that apply.